This invention relates to refrigerators and, more particularly, to an improved mechanism for controlling the temperature in freezer and fresh food storage compartments of side-by-side refrigerators.
Side-by-side type refrigerators include a freezer compartment and a fresh food storage compartment arranged in a side-by side relationship. Typically the refrigerator includes only a single evaporator, that is located in the freezer. A freezer thermostat includes a bulb positioned in the freezer to sense the temperature in the freezer and operate the refrigeration system in order to maintain the freezer temperature in the desired range. The fresh food compartment is maintained in the desired temperature range by a thermostat which is positioned to sense the temperature in that compartment and control a mechanism for permitting an appropriate amount of cold air to flow from the freezer to the fresh food compartment.
For the convenience of the user, it is preferred to place both the freezer and fresh food thermostats and their operating mechanisms in the fresh food compartment. In addition it is preferred to place these mechanisms, along with the light for the fresh food compartment, in a composite arrangement that extends across the upper rear portion of the fresh food compartment. Since the fresh food thermostat is connected to a mechanical mechanism for controlling the air flow from the freezer to the fresh food compartment, that thermostat is best located adjacent the mullion. This results in the freezer thermostat being positioned further away from the mullion, and thus further away from the freezer.
The natural assumption of a user is that the control mechanism closest to the freezer operates the freezer thermostat. Thus if the operating devices manipulated by the user to set the thermostats are placed adjacent to the thermostats, the user will be inclined to adjust the incorrect thermostat and obtain unsatisfactory operation of the refrigerator. Thus there is a need to provide the user with operating or thermostat setting devices which are arranged in the same orientation or relationship as the storage compartments, even though the thermostats themselves are in the opposite orientation. For example, when the freezer is to the left of the fresh food compartment, it is desirable that the knob, lever or other device to operate the freezer thermostat be located to the left of the device to operate the fresh food thermostat, even though the freezer thermostat is located to the right of the fresh food thermostat.
It is an object of this invention to provide a refrigerator with an improved mechanism for controlling the temperature in the freezer and fresh food storage compartments.
It is another object to provide such an improved mechanism in which the user operated device for setting or controlling a thermostat is remote from the thermostat.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a side-by-side refrigerator with such an improved mechanism in which the user operated devices have the same relationship as the freezer and fresh food compartments, even though the thermostats have the opposite relationship.